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Apart from the “natural and human induced” hazards, there are also other kinds of hazards that can be considered as small and sometimes, disregarded but can cause disaster. These are the following:

1. BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS - Associated with working with animals, people, or infectious plant materials. Work in schools, day care facilities, colleges and universities, hospitals, laboratories, emergency response, nursing homes, outdoor occupations, etc. may expose you to biological
hazards. Types of biological hazards you may be exposed to include blood and other body fluids, fungi/ mold, bacteria and viruses, plants, insect bites, and animal and bird droppings.

2. CHEMICAL HAZARDS - Are present when a worker is exposed to any chemical preparation in the workplace in any form (solid, liquid or gas). Some are safer than others, but to some workers who are more sensitive to chemicals, even common solutions can cause illness, skin irritation, or breathing problems.
Beware of:
(1) Liquids like cleaning products, paints, acids, solvents – ESPECIALLY if chemicals are in an unlabeled container!
(2) Vapors and fumes that come from welding or exposure to solvents
(3) Gases like acetylene, propane, carbon monoxide and helium,
(4) Flammable materials like gasoline, solvents, and explosive chemicals and
(5) Pesticides.

3. ERGONOMIC HAZARDS - Occur when the type of work, body positions and working conditions put strain on your body. They are the hardest to spot since you don’t always immediately notice the strain on your body or the harm that these hazards pose. Short- term exposure may result in “sore muscles” the next day or in the days following exposure, but long-term exposure can result in serious long-term illnesses.

Ergonomic Hazards include:
(1) Improperly adjusted workstations and chairs,
(2) Frequent lifting
(3) Poor posture,
(4) Awkward movements, especially if they are repetitive,
(5) Repeating the same movements over and over
(6) Having to use too much force, especially if you have to do it frequently and
(7) Vibration.

4. MENTAL HEALTH HAZARDS IN THE WORKPLACE - Hazards or stressors that cause stress (short- term effects) and strain (long-term effects). These are the hazards associated with workplace issues such as workload, lack of control and/or respect, etc.

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Some of the most important definitions in DRRM and CC are listed in the chart below. Most of these definitions can also be found in the School Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (SDRRM) Manual of the Department of Education (DepEd).

Hazard
A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society involving widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses and impacts, which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources.

Disaster
A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society involving widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses and impacts, which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources.

Disaster Risk
The potential disaster losses, in lives, health status, livelihoods, assets and services, which could occur to a particular community or a society over some period of time.

Disaster Risk Reduction
The concept and practice of reducing disaster risks through systematic efforts to analyse and manage the causal factors of disasters, including through reduced exposure to hazards, lessened vulnerability of people and property, wise management of the land and environment and improved preparedness for adverse events.

Disaster Risk Management
The systematic process of using administrative directives, organizations and capacities to implement strategies, policies and improved coping capacities in order to lessen the adverse impacts of hazards and the possibility of disaster.

Recovery
Decisions and actions taken after a disaster with a view to restoring or improving the pre-disaster living conditions of the stricken community while encouraging and facilitating necessary adjustments to reduce disaster risks.

Preparedness
Activities and measures taken in advance to ensure effective response to the impacts of hazards, including the issuance of timely and effective early warnings and the temporary evacuation of people and property from threatened locations.

Response
The act of implementing or translating into actions what are called for by the preparedness plans. Response includes actions taken to save lives and prevent further damage in a disaster or emergency situation. Seeking shelter from strong winds accompanying a typhoon and evacuating to higher grounds due to an impending flood are examples of response.

Vulnerability
The characteristics and circumstances of a community, system or asset that make it susceptible to the damaging effects of a hazard.

Capacity
The combination of all the strengths, attributes and resources available within a community, society or organization that can be used to achieve agreed goals.

Climate Change
A change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods (UNFCC).

Greenhouse Gases
Gaseous constituents of the atmosphere, both natural and anthropogenic, that absorb and emit radiation of thermal infrared radiation emitted by the Earth’s surface, the atmosphere itself, and by clouds (IPCC).

Adaptation
Adaptation is adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits benefit opportunities (IPCC).
Adjustments in ecological, social, or economic systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli and their effects or impacts. It refers to changes in processes, practices, and structures to moderate potential damages or to benefit from opportunities associated with climate change (UNFCCC).

Mitigation
An anthropogenic intervention to reduce the sources or enhance the sinks of greenhouse gases (IPCC).

Human interventions to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases by sources or enhance their removal from the atmosphere by “sinks”. A “sink” refers to forests, vegetation or soils that can reabsorb CO2 (UNFCCC).]]>Disaster Readiness and Risk ReductionFri, 01 Dec 2017 03:15:07 +0000